Jim Elliot was a missionary to one of the tribes in Ecuador known as “Aucas”. The Aucas tribe killed outsiders. But this information did not stop Jim Elliot from attempting to reach out to them. One of the things that motivated him was that the Aucas needed to hear the gospel of Christ, and this could lead them to stop killing outsiders because of a changed heart. Jim Elliot and his friends went to the Ecuadorian jungle to meet this tribe with the hope of sharing the gospel with them. Unfortunately, they were met with spears and Jim Elliot and his friends were killed.
One would think they have wasted their time. But because their attempt to reach the Aucas with the gospel, has led others to imitate them in attempting to reach the gospel to the Aucas tribe. Jim’s wife and her friends moved to the Auca village. Many people from the tribe of Aucas became Christians. “In his death, however, he probably inspired more people to go to other countries to share the love of Jesus than he ever could have in life” Christianity.com. Why did Jim Elliot and his friends attempt that? They believe in Jesus Christ, they believed in what the gospel of Christ could do to a rock heart. They stood up for what they believed in and in their deaths inspired others to do the same.
A life of a believer is not an easy one. Jim Elliot and his friends stood up for what they believed in, and they died for this cause. Believers, we are to stand up for what we believe in (the gospel of Jesus Christ). In this article, I will argue the need to stand up for Jesus.
- To Spread The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Idle people accomplish nothing. When we look at the lives of those who died for what they believed in, they all did something about it, and nothing stopped them from doing what they believed in. Not even death. The apostles believed in Jesus Christ, they believed in his message. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16 and they went and spread the word of God, preaching the gospel. They were convinced by this. Paul `believed this and this motivated him to spread the good news.
Stephan was the first disciple who was a martyr for the sake of the gospel. His account in Acts chapter 7 does not show us, Stephan, pleading for mercy rather, he gave a full account of God’s story (the good news), his plan for the world through Jesus Christ. As a result of his death persecution broke out.
The result of his death was this; the gospel of God spreading throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1). We need to stand up for Jesus to preach the gospel. Luke says this after the Sanhedrin heard the message from Stephan “they were furious and gnashed their teeth” (Acts 8:54). Some people will be furious when they hear the gospel because it confronts our deepest secrets in our hearts. But if we do not stand and preach the gospel, the fear of men will overcome us and we will stay silent.
- To Not Fall Into Sin
We live in a fallen world because of the effect of sin on everything. We struggle with sin because of our fleshly desires, we are tempted by the pleasures of this world and we are tempted by the devil who wants us to fall. Repeatedly scripture warns us to watch out, to be careful, to resist, to avoid, to run and stand. The perfect example that we have is our Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter 4 verse 1, we see Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the evil one. And whenever the devil tempts Jesus, Jesus responds with scripture. Jesus resisted the devil with scripture. God has given us his word not only to get to know him but also to help us resist temptations. Paul in his letter to Corinth says that God will make a way when we are tempted, he will not allow us to be tempted beyond then what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). We need to stand in his word so that we can stand up for Jesus when temptations come.
- To be different in this world
To be different in this world is hard. Many people do not believe in the Bible as the final authority and not many people live out a life worthy of the gospel. But believers, are to be different. The world that we live in is dark and when you are in darkness, it is hard for you to see where you are going. You need a light to show you where you are going or to reveal to you what is happening. Without the light, you will never know what is happening. Without the light darkness becomes your norm.
When you are in the village and there is no light at all, darkness overwhelms you. You are afraid to move around the house because you cannot see a thing. But as time goes on, you start maneuvering around the house even though its dark. Before you know, you have adjusted to the dark. That does not mean that is how you should live. It does not give you a clear picture of what is inside the house. You still need the light to see clearly. Many people are living that way. They have learned to maneuver around this world thinking that if I am not like the other person who murders people or steals money in the company, I am fine forgetting that they themselves need the light to see how awful they are.
Believers need to stand up for their light to shine forth. If we have a candle, we do not put it underneath or hide it, we put it somewhere visible where everyone can see it. But if believers do not stand up, they will find themselves blowing out the candle due to not wanting others to see them for who they are. As a result, they become part of the darkness. And where there is darkness, there is no light but if you turn on the light, darkness disappears.
We need to be different and being different will cost us. If it means being truthful to our colleagues in the workplace when they are stealing the things of the company. We need to be different. If it means going against what our parents practiced in the past when raising their children (if it is not biblical), we need to be different. We need to be different even if it means others shaming us. We must stand for example, against abortion or same-sex marriage (which the world is supporting). For God to change this world, we need to be different.
In conclusion, we need to stand up for Jesus even if it means until death. Being a Christian is not easy, but we need to follow what Christ. He stood up and did the will of God. And he is calling us to do the same; preach the gospel, do not sin and let your light shine. Stand for Jesus.
Grace to the Nation 